Canon EOS Rebel SL1 review:
A dSLR for dainty hands

The only problem is the LCD. On one hand, it has the same great touch screen and interface as the T5i's, which is really nice for navigating the settings and shooting video. But it's nearly impossible to see in direct sunlight, and since it doesn't articulate like the T5i's, you're stuck. It's not much of a problem for shooting stills, since you can see most of the relevant settings you need to change in the viewfinder, but shooting video outdoors can get really frustrating.

Design and features Smaller and lighter than its dSLR competitors, SL1 in design sacrifices surprisingly little to shave some size off the T5i. Most of the difference is in the grip, which is shallower and lower than the bigger camera's, and the LCD, which is fixed rather than articulated.

On the right shoulder of the camera sits the mode dial, which has the usual manual, semimanual, and automatic modes, plus a three-way on/off/movie switch. In addition to the three multishot modes offered by the T5i -- HDR Backlight Control (which automatically combines four image exposures to retain detail in shadow and highlight areas for backlit subjects), a four-shot Handheld Night Scene mode, and Night Portrait -- the SL1 includes kids, food, and candlelight scene modes. The mode dial itself is smaller than on the T5i but still manageable.

The SL1's body compared with the T5i.
Sarah Tew/CNET

The controls on the back are smaller and flatter than those on the T5i, though the layout is roughly the same. The big difference here is the lack of functions attached to the navigation buttons -- you've got to use the touch screen to choose autofocus mode, drive mode, white balance, and Picture Styles, though I didn't find it much of an inconvenience (except in direct sunlight, when I couldn't see the screen).

The touch screen is responsive and has an intelligent user interface, including the usual capabilities, like touch focus, that streamline Live View shooting. You don't have to use it if you don't want to, though operations like selecting ISO sensitivity go much faster when you can directly select rather than having to cycle through them. Overall, I find Canon's interface straightforward and easy to use.

But without even an articulated display, the camera disappoints even more than the T5i on its features. It's got the basics you'd expect from a $700 body, but lacks a lot of modern options, like GPS or wireless, as well as interesting traditional features, such as time-lapse, multiple exposure, and intervalometer. It's got the same handful of "meh" special effects as the T5i. I also miss peaking for manual focus in Live View; it would make focusing with every lens besides the STM model so much easier. It does include the Video Snapshot mode carried over from the camcorders and PowerShots for shooting quick clips.

Conclusion The SL1 is a fine dSLR, and I enjoyed shooting with it. But from a buying-advice perspective, its only real advantage over dSLR alternatives is its size, and in that respect it's simply not small enough -- especially compared with a mirrorless interchangeable-lens model equipped with a power zoom lens. Its optical viewfinder isn't significantly superior to the electronic viewfinder, either, which would be one of the main reasons to opt for a dSLR. And there are much cheaper compact ILCs that deliver similar performance and photo quality, with better feature sets, especially if you're willing to forgo the viewfinder. If you already have a selection of Canon EF or EF-S lenses, or want to be able to share lenses with bigger Canon bodies, it's a reasonable purchase, but otherwise you might want to check out the competition.